The degree of separation of the left and right channels in a stereo high-fidelity audio system can be a standard figure of merit. Intermixing of the two channels can reduce the separation and compromise listening quality. In stereo headphones, a portion of the ground/negative current return path for both of the left and right channels can share a common conductor for a finite physical distance, for example, between the driving amplifier IC output and the sleeve terminal of the headphone jack or connector. In some cases, the finite physical distance can include the full length of the headphone cable. This shared length of conductor has non-zero impedance, and current flowing through each earpiece can develop a voltage across the parasitic impedance that results in a small amount of its signal appearing at the negative terminal of the opposite earpiece, producing bleed-over or crosstalk.